U.S. mass shooting: Gunman kills four, self in Office Tower rampage

A gunman identified as Shane Tamura, a 27-year-old from Las Vegas, stormed a Midtown Manhattan office tower at 345 Park Avenue on Monday evening, killing four people, including an NYPD officer, and wounding a fifth before taking his own life, authorities said.

The skyscraper houses the headquarters of the National Football League (NFL), investment firm Blackstone, Rudin Management, and financial services firm KPMG.

The attack began just before 6:30 p.m. when Tamura exited a double-parked BMW, armed with an M4 rifle, and entered the building’s lobby, where he immediately opened fire, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

Among the victims was Officer Didarul Islam, 36, a 3½-year veteran of the NYPD and an immigrant from Bangladesh, who was working a corporate security detail.

“He was doing the job we asked him to do. He put himself in harm’s way. He died as he lived a hero,” Tisch said at a news conference.

Tamura continued his rampage, shooting a security guard at a desk and a woman hiding behind a pillar in the lobby, as well as another man.

He then took an elevator to the 33rd floor, where he fatally shot a Rudin Management employee before dying by a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Tisch reported.

One person remains in critical condition, and four others sustained minor injuries while fleeing, Mayor Eric Adams said.

According to the Associated Press, police found a rifle case, a loaded revolver, ammunition, magazines, and prescribed medication in Tamura’s vehicle, which had traveled from Las Vegas through Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, and Columbia, New Jersey, arriving in New York City on Monday afternoon.

Tisch noted that Tamura had a “documented mental health history” but said his motive for targeting the building remains under investigation.

“We are working to understand why he targeted this particular location,” she stated.

The shooting, occurring in a bustling area near Grand Central Terminal and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, sent shockwaves through Midtown, reminiscent of last December’s killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson nearby.

Witness Nekeisha Lewis, dining in a nearby plaza, described hearing “a quick two shots and then rapid fire,” followed by a man running from the building shouting, “Help, help. I’m shot.”

Jessica Chen, on the second floor, recounted barricading herself in a conference room after hearing gunfire, texting her parents in fear.

The AP reports that the attack prompted a massive police response, with evacuees seen leaving the building with hands raised.

The NYPD is investigating Tamura’s background, with no prior connections to New York City or the real estate industry identified so far, Tisch said.

In Las Vegas, no one answered at Tamura’s listed address.

Officer Islam, survived by his pregnant wife and two young sons, was honoured in a dignified transfer early Tuesday at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Hospital.

Mayor Adams described the city as “still unraveling” the tragedy, emphasizing the profound loss felt by New Yorkers.